Boat Shoes
by xYuriChan
Summary: Cal is finally transferring out of NHC, as he finishes packing he thinks about everything he has lost and the little he has gained. Drabble rated T for language.


Boat Shoes  
A/N: You will have had to read at least "The Scarlets" novellas to understand some of this. Otherwise you won't know the significance of a few of the characters here.

Cal stared out his window down at the lawn one final time. Today would be his last day at this school. He managed to get himself transferred back to Greenport College and he couldn't be any more relieved. New Hampshire College had been a place of both happiness and disaster. The few happy memories of his friends were all he would be leaving here with. He wouldn't get to see Micah's stupid goofy smile anymore or listen to him rattle on about morals and all that shit with his stupid Southern accent. He wouldn't get to sit at the table with Lara while she talked about women's rights and fiddled with the strands of her hair that fell messily into her face. There would be no more staring out the window to watch Dustin practice in all his shirtless Adonis glory. This place was poison and he was finally free to leave it. His only regret was on everyone else who didn't get the chance.

Since he had in desperation killed his Father, Cal was aware that he had stopped caring. Under the stone's influence he had no more control over his own life then an infant. There was nothing he could do about that of course but to drink and pretend things didn't totally suck. Pretend that it wasn't his fault Micah got mixed up with the Scarlets too. That if he had just done what Roger had asked in the first place, his Dad wouldn't be dead and maybe neither would Micah or Lara.

He stopped caring about everyone and everything because he didn't really have a choice anymore.

There was a knock at his door and Cal turned his attention away from the grassy field outside to go and answer it. "Brought beer." Falon explained holding up a six pack.

"You know the way to my heart." He answered opening the door to let her in.

He watched as she looked around the room then took a seat on his bed as if she owned the place. He smiled and took a spot next to her on the bed. "This is the least I can do for you." She added handing him a can. "After all you did some pretty cool things just to save me. You didn't have to you know?"

"Nah, but your friend is terrifying." He answered.

She took a can of her own and gave him a small smile. After Abby had freed him from his hypnosis everything had crashed into him at once. He remembered her. He remembered Dustin and Roger. Micah and Lara. Everything crashed against him and the weight of his emotions had him making sure Caroline Reyes died in the fire that destroyed Brookline.

"How is Holliday?" He asked letting his curiosity for the two people he could maybe call friends show.

"I dunno." Falon answered with a shrug pulling back the tab on her can of beer. "She went home after you helped us out. I don't know what they did to her before hypnosis but she just seems like a different person." She took a long drink and let out a seemingly out of character burp. A part of him figured that the reason she's done that was to show she was comfortable around him. That she trusted him.

"I'm sorry you guys got mixed up in my Dad's shit because of me."

"Actually I think we were the ones who got you mixed up in something bad." She answered. "You're a much better guy then I initially gave you credit for you know?"

"I don't know whether to be flattered or offended." Cal answered. He stared at the drink in his hand not really having any motivation to drink it. Something he so easily enjoyed loosing himself to months before has suddenly become so unappealing to him.

His phone chimed, it was the same sound that played whenever you collected an item in Final Fantasy games and he didn't recall ever making that a text tone on his phone. Picking it up he checked the ID and immediately figured out the Ringtone Mystery. The message was from Jordan, who was an obvious suspect to get on his phone and mess around like that. He didn't know exactly when they had exchanged numbers but if he had to guess it was more likely than not the night of the party. They had gotten extra close that night and even under hypnosis Cal really enjoyed having him as a roommate. Jordan was smart, funny, attractive and the first guy in a long time that he actually had a chance with. And Cal had about gotten him and his two friends, Abby and Dan killed.

If he could take it back he would.

Opening the message he stared at the words written inside as though they were a lifeline. No, better than a lifeline, they were the forgiveness he unintentionally craved.

 _"Thanks for what you did for us back there."_

Smiling to himself Cal set his phone back down and opened his can of beer. Maybe things would be alright after all. He had Falon and Jordan, and it wasn't much compared to what all he had lost but it was a start. Cal downed half his can in one go then looked over the side of his bed at the shoes he was still wearing after all this time. Scoffed up and with burn marks in a couple of places they were at the end of their rope.

A part of him did not want to throw them away though. They were his past, always there to remind him of better times while Roger yelled at him.

Then he remembered something Micah used to say to him all the time.  
"Moving on when bad things happen can be scary but it's a good thing. It shapes who we are and who we will one day become. I messed up big time, but moving here was a good thing. I got to meet you and Lara and I know that I can and will do the right thing."

He kicked off his shoes and tossed them in the waste basket. "I need new shoes." He commented feeling lighter than he had felt in a long time.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before throwing them away." Falon snorted. "Put on some slippers or something, we'll go into town and get you a new pair."

"I'm all for that idea." Cal answered standing up and heading towards the closet. "Let's pick up some pizza on the way too. Nothing is better the pizza and beer on moving day." He added.

"Who said I was helping you move?" She asked making for the door.

"Who said you weren't." He shot back rooting through the closet for an old pair of tennis shoes that he only used for working out. Though that was something he rarely did, at least he had the shoes for it.

He grabbed his keys and phone on the way out the door and caught up with Falon down the hall. "You know, I think I accidentally packed your comic book. We should look for that when we get back."

"You mean you'll look. I want that back it is part of a collection."

"Well if it's that important you might have to help me look for it." He answered.

"I take back the good guy thing." She rolled her eyes at him but there was a slight smile playing at her lips that told him she was joking.

Cal lifted his phone and reread the message from Jordan again.

Everything was going to be better than fine from here on out. Because he was going to take Micah's advice and move on.

 _"I'm buying new shoes. Suggestions?"_ He sent the message as they left the building and received his answer by the time they had reached Falon's car.

 _"Thank God. Just don't buy another pair of boat shoes. Those were horrible."_

A/N: Mostly after reading that short story, I felt really bad for Cal. The story never quite said what happened to Falon and Holly. I took poetic license and just assumed they were hypnotized as well. I don't think they would risk getting the FBI or other forces besides the police involved when they were turning an underground cult. I would imagine they just had them walking around like zombies staying out of trouble and Cal found them to release them from it afterwards. He blamed himself for what happened to Falon so it follows he would want to help her and Holliday.

At least this is all my theorizing, so nothing really means anything canonly. I hope you enjoyed reading this! I would like more stories from this series to pop up some day!


End file.
